BJP worker found dead, chilling note on T-shirt

PURULIA: The body of a 20-year-old college student was found hanging from a tree early on Wednesday in Purulia’s Balarampur with the chilling message “BJP politics at only 18 years …” scribbled on the back of his white T-shirt. A poster found nearby reiterated the message and added, “Have been trying to do this since the polls, couldn’t. Today your life ends.”
A case of abduction and murder has been lodged.
Trilochan Mahato, a final-year history honours student of Balarampur College, was associated with BJP Yuva Morcha. His cellphone, purse, cap and bicycle were found nearby. His father, Hariram Mahato, said the 20-year-old “had worked for BJP during the panchayat polls”.
BJP president Amit Shah condemned the incident in a Twitter post. “Deeply hurt by the brutal killing of our young karyakarta, Trilochan Mahato in Balarampur, West Bengal. A young life full of possibilities was brutally taken out under state’s patronage,” he wrote. According to the father, Trilochon had gone to the local market to make photocopies of some study materials on Tuesday evening. He had called up his brother around 7 pm to say that he would be home in half an hour. However, around 8 pm he called again to inform them that he had been abducted by some unknown men who were threatening to murder him. His body was found nearly a kilometre away from his home in Supurdi village early in the morning.
BJP’s Purulia district secretary Vidyasagar Chakraborty alleged Trilochan was murdered by Trinamool Congress supporters. The party has called a 12-hour bandh in Balarampur on Thursday.
Trinamool Congress won all the seven gram panchayats in Balarampur in the just-concluded rural polls. Trinamool Congress heavyweight and Balarampur MLA Shantiram Mahato, who is also the state Paschimanchal Affairs minister, denied the party had anything to do with Trilochan’s death. “BJP did well in some pockets here. After their win, they are battling infighting and this could be a fallout of that,” he claimed.
Purulia SP Joy Biswas said prima facie personal enmity – and not politics – appeared to have led to the death. “The matter, however, is under investigation,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, a group of BJP supporters lodged a complaint with Jhargram police against atrocities by Trinamool workers, reports Sujay Khanra from Jhargram. Later, when a Trinamool victory rally was brought out, it was allegedly attacked by BJP workers. A little later, Trinamool again brought out a motorcycle rally, but were allegedly again attacked by BJP men. At round 9.30 pm, the Trinamool workers allegedly regrouped and attacked the BJP party office, where over 150 homeless supporters have taken shelter.
BJP state general secretary Subrata Chattpadhyay was at the party when it came under attack. Additional SP Biswajit Mahato and SDPO Dipak Sarkar visited the spot soon and RAF was deployed. Even the police came under attack by the two warring political groups. A journalist was also injured. BJP’s Jhargram district secretary Sukhomoy Satpati said two BJP workers were arrested. Trinamool’s Jhargram district secretary Ajit Maiti alleged five of the party’s workers were injured and had to be hospitalised.